1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to packaging containing cigarettes for retail sale, and in particular provides a cigarette package having an integral pocket. The pocket is initially folded flat against the package and can be opened by the consumer for holding a cigarette lighter.
2. Prior Art
Cigarettes are sold in shirt pocket sized rectilinear retail containers or "packs" containing twenty cigarettes. The well known cigarette pack comprises an inner foil sheet that surrounds the cigarettes, a glued paper structural layer that forms the container, and a snugly wrapped outer layer of cellophane. In so-called soft packs the structural layer is flexible paper; the cellophane is removable around the top edge of the pack; and the foil is intended to be torn away over a limited portion of the top adjacent to a seal strip. In so-called hard packs the structural layer is paperboard; the cellophane is removable below a fold-back lid that extends part way down the sidewalls; and an inserted foil portion can be pulled away to expose the top ends of the cigarettes. Whether hard pack or soft pack, the structural layer is formed of sheet material that has been cut, folded and glued to form the pack.
A smoker must also carry a lighter or a book of matches to ignite the cigarettes. A popular option that has become standard is the disposable butane lighter, which frequently is dimensioned to have a height and width substantially the same as the height and thickness of a cigarette pack. A common annoyance occasionally experienced by cigarette smokers is the misplacement of their cigarette lighter. To reduce the possibility that the lighter will be misplaced, the lighter can be carried commonly with the cigarettes, for example inside the pack after a sufficient number of cigarettes have been removed to clear a space. Similarly, it is known in the art to provide a cigarette pack carrier or caddy that attaches to a pack of cigarettes or has a receptacle to receive the pack, and also has a receptacle for a cigarette lighter. For example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,000,812--Pisarski et al.; 4,190,148--Schade, II et al.; 4,588,076--Caputo et al.; and 4,750,613--Kopp disclose various devices for carrying both a cigarette lighter and pack of cigarettes.
Cigarette pack and lighter caddies are advantageous in that they keep the pack and the lighter associated, but require that the smoker carry an additional piece of smoking paraphernalia. Thus, it is nearly as easy to misplace a caddy (particularly when empty) as to misplace a lighter. Additionally, many pack/lighter caddies are bulky, making them less than desirable for carrying in a smoker's pocket or purse. It would be advantageous if a more convenient and inexpensive way could be provided for smokers to carry their cigarette lighters along with their cigarette packs, without having to purchase and retain a separate carrier device.